Ely parking charges one step closer

Car parking charges are one step closer to being rolled out across Ely.

East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) and the City of Ely Council are pressing ahead with the contentious plans - despite campaigners warning last week that forcing people to pay to park would “kill” the city centre.

Members of the district council’s development and transport committee approved the controversial proposals yesterday afternoon (Dec 3) and a public consultation will now be launched.

He said: “We have spoken to a lot of people about the car parking proposals from businesses to the traders association to members of the public to the local chambers of commerce.

“All have agreed the joint proposals we have put forward are a significant step forward and address many of the concerns which had been previously raised.

“Our aim has been to create a simple to use and fair system which as one councillor remarked at the meeting is cheaper than many bus tickets.”

As revealed by the News, the plan is to now allow people to park in Ely’s short-stay car parks free for the first hour.

For two hours, the charge would be 70p, for three hours it would be £1, and for four hours it would be £1.50.

In the city’s long-stay car parks, an all-day ticket would be £2.50 or people could buy a weekly ticket for £5.

In the evenings, from 6pm to 8am the following day, parking in all of Ely’s car parks would remain free.

Car parking in Angel Drove would remain as it is under the new proposals.

The charges would apply for weekdays and at the weekends.

Campaigners and the Ely Traders Association are in uproar over the new scheme, insisting it will have a “devastating effect” on the city centre, especially with a new out-of-town retail development being planned for Angel Drove.

But Ely’s Mayor, city Cllr Will Burton, insists the new plans are “fair and proportionate”.

He said: “I believe the proposals we have put forward are fair and proportionate to visitors, shoppers, workers and businesses in Ely.

“They include the issues which people have told us are important and we hope they are seen for what they are – a simple, straight forward scheme which attempts to address the concerns which we have heard over the last few months.”

A 12-week public consultation will be launched on Monday, December 10.

The feedback from that will then go to the development and transport committee next March, when a final decision will be made.

9 comments

The consultation is a complete sham. The only things asked are whether you support the various exemptions and discounts. You can't oppose the principle of car parking itself! Since clearly the council has already made its mind up, once they rubber stamp the decision they've already made I hope the Ely Trader's Association requests Judicial Review on the basis of no consultation.

Its not the workers who are hit it is local people who have to drive into Ely for banks,dentists,butchers,hairdressers ect ect which can be on different days.These are the people who it will hit the hardest.Not to mention having to watch the time while your'e there.

To be honest, having forced most of the good city centre shops to close through rediculous business rates and thus left the centre ful of non tax paying charity shops it is rather hard to imagine why people want to come to the city centre anyway. But it is quite obvious, to those who do not wear themselves as a hat, that paying to park for the meager few decent shops left will undoubtedly sign the death warrant for those clinging on.The only people who will end up profitting are the supermarkets who will have to charge for the use of their facilities or be swamped with cars from the daily commuters to cambridge.

Grandaduk why? You'll get a free hour....Cant you have a coffee in that free time? I believe in the charges, there will be a bigger turn around in spaces so people that have potential to spend money can park!

Well thats that then you can moan and groan have a valid point but in the end it means nothing. When will the people in power realise their job is to do what is best for the people they serve and the community not what they feel as an individual group, behind closed doors policy will triumph again. Long live democracy there is no such thing.